>> announcer: you're watching news 4 midday. >> if you plan to fly home for the holidays you better get your ticket soon. prices are going up. according to fare compare.com you should expect to pay $10

more per day on any air fare booked after the second week of december. they say prices rise sharply on the 19th. the cheapest days to fly are christmas and new year's day. the most expensive are the sundays before those holidayses. >> have you checked the gas pump? tom costello explains why there is less pain at the pump recently. >> reporter: funny thing about gas prices, we all notice when they go up. remember labor and delivery? the national average was $3.83 a gallon but chicago paid $4.34. >> first time i filled my little car and spent over $50. >> reporter: but gas has dropped nearly 50 cents on average. while many of us missed it, they noticed it in california where regular unleaded dropped a full dollar.

370 now. >> i saved money. i am happier at the tank. >> reporter: why the price drop? much of it is supply and demand. demand drops during the winter and we are driving more fuel efficient cars. also, u.s. supply increased. >> with production rising to an 18-year high with demand at a ten-year lower less reliant on imports to meet our demand. >> reporter: america is using nearly 700,000 fewer barrels of oil each year than we did in 2007. does that mean we won't have to worry about $4 or $5 gas? >> we could see $4 this spring. $5, i wouldn't be surprised to see pumps at $5 a gallon. should there be another refining issue.

>> reporter: but americans will have extra dollars to spend on family and friends this holiday season. >> that was tom costello reporting. now to the latest business news. there are small gains on wall street. let's check in with hampton pearson with more on that. hi has the rest of the business headlines, too. hampton? >> we do have stocks trading in positive territory. the surprise resignation of italy's prime minister offset by a good report on mcdonald's sales. checking the major averages this hour, the dow is up 27 points. the nasdaq is up 14, the s&p up two. italy's prime minister, the man credited with restoring confidence in italy's shaky economy has resigned. italy's stock index dropped 3%. there was a ripple effect in the u.s. and european markets earlier. monty said he can't leave the country after losing the support of sylvio berlusconi's party. apple stock is back around $531

a share after a leading investment firm, jeffreys, cut the future price target by $100. a leading analyst says smart phone saturation may lead to slow growth in the coming years. the new price target is $800 per share as opposed to 900. apple stock is down 25% since the record close above $700 a share in september. and the world's biggest hamburger chain, mcdonald's, saw sales increase 2.4% at restaurants open more than a year. growth was bigger than expected. breakfast items and limited time only cheddar bacon and onion sandwiches boosted sales. the stock is up 2.5% in trading yesterday. the results represent a rebound. in october mcdonald's had its first ever decline in same-store sales in nine years. back to you. >> hampton, thank you. >> back pain affects 80% of americans a at some point in their lifetime.

it comes in many forms. here with ideas hon how to help is kim from boundless yoga. who did you bring? >> i brought carol. she's been studying with me for five years and is a great student. >> as we talk about back pain carol will perform some yoga routines that can leave yat back pain starting with the basic form. >> exactly. >> what's this called? >> this is boat pose. she'll do three steps of the pose. the first, she'll turn this way and will hug her knees from a seated position, take the legs up. this is the most basic one you can do. hands on the ground, chest lifted. >> what does this do for the back, for someone starting i don't -- yoga. >> it works the core and the back statement. she'll bring the arms up and then legs straight. >> strong core, strong back. is it that simple? >> it really is. we were talking about how to roll your neck and shoulders and

it's a band aid on the problem. you really want to work the core and back. >> as carol gets ready for her next pose, how many students come complaining of back pain? >> half. people walk in and say they have low back, mid back or upper back or neck pain. >> what's the second pose? >> this is locust pose. it's the number one pose. legs lift. >> i have seen this before when i have seen yoga online. >> if you look at how much she has to work to hold herself up, but i want to be clear. length is so much more important than height. she'll lengthen the body out. you work all the little back muscles. that are stiff from sitting in the chairs. >> it can help your lower back. >> it can. >> i can see that being effective for me. i have had back problems off aen. >> i had back pain a few years ago and did it every day for a few months. my back pain went away.

>> this is the locust. the third and final pose for carol, what is this? >> this is for advanced students. it's side plank. it's not for the weak at heart. >> or the weak physically either. >> if you look just for a second how she distributes her weight through her body, especially through the hips, pelvis and upper legs. she's not just working her arm. it's straight through her core and back. i encourage intermediate students, advanced beginners to try it. it's great for your back. >> hold that for the rest of the show, carol. >> exactly. she could do it for ten minutes. >> i'm messing with you. tremendous display. what would you say to people who haven't yet tried yoga and they are feeling back pain? >> it's a good question. i would say don't be afraid of going to a yoga class. it's worth it to take care of yourself. call your local yoga studio. find out if they have a back series. we offer for your new year's resolution to get a healthy back for 2013.

>> let me give you a helping hand here. helping us get your backs in shape. thanks for the presentation. the time is 11:51. coming up, the funny moment you have to see when a phone call interrupts a press conference. plus, storm team 4 meteorologist tom kierein back with another check of the big changes taking place over the next

if the politicians in washington negotiate a bad deal on the budget and deficit, what do you think will happen to medicare and medicaid benefits? and to our coverage? cutting hundreds of billions of dollars from medicare and medicaid will short change the people who need it the most. so if you don't want seniors to come up empty. call sen. warner and tell him

don't make a bad deal that cuts our care. news for your health. when it comes to kids' diet, one bad thing can lead the to another. the more salty food kids eat, the more sugary drinks they will consume to wash it down. researchers tracked more than 4,000 kids in australia and saw a diet high in sodium led to more consumption of sodas and other sugar-sweetened beverages. children who had more than one each day were 26% more likely to be overweight. the first family is feeling

the holiday spirit. ♪ the obamas took part in the taping of the annual christmas in washington concert last night at the national building museum. diana ross and korean rapper psy performed. proceeds go to the children's national medical center. the concert airs this month on tnt. >> "gangnam style" will never go away. it's happened to everyone. you get into an important meeting or conversation. one college basketball head coach decided to answer the call. [ phone ringing ] >> you know, because -- hold on one second. [ laughter ] >> hello? >> louisville head coach rick patino's post game press conference was interrupted. the phone belonged to one of the

reporters. the caller asked if he wanted to join them for drinks afterwards. coach took his time and declined poli politely. >> i'm surprised he answered it. we'll look at some of the stories we are following this afternoon. pat joins us with a preview of things to come. pat? >> -- also today, a widening scandal around the puppeteer who made elmo famous. coming up at 5:00 today, we go inside the high tech lab where toys are tested for safety. you will want to watch this before you shop for the holidays. those stories and more coming up this afternoon on news 4 start agent 4:00. >> thank you, pat. we'll check again on the forecast for the rest of the

day. >> the fog is still sticking in some areas, mainly north of the metro area. lighter fog as we approach the noon area. also showers in the mountains passing well west of the metro area now. by this evening after sunset they may move our way. it is climbing into the 60s throughout virginia. around the metro area, temperatures are generally hovering in the upper 50s, low 60s. mid 60s around the metro area by mid afternoon. a lot of clouds around. showers ending after midnight. chilly dry pattern after that. the rest of the week. weekends may get showers. see you tomorrow. >> this is a special day for the guy over here. it's his birthday today. happy birthday. >> happy birthday. >> thank you. one year older, hopefully a year wiser. hopefully. thanks for watching "news 4 midday." tune in to news 4 at 4:00, 5:00 and 6:00 later for the news. >> we'll be back tomorrow at 11

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